The Ties That Bind
by Caidreabh
Summary: The team investigates the murder of a wealthy real estate owner. Sara gets drawn into the case when she sympathizes with the victim's granddaughter.


This was my first-ever fic. It's a casefile written in screenplay format-so it's actually more of a spec ep, but not really good enough. It was written in Sophocles, and the filetype has been changed several times, so the formatting didn't hold up very well. Hopefully that won't be distracting.  
I've been told that the end is weaker than the beginning. I want to go back and edit it, but I'm not sure how. Any advice would be appreciated!  
  
Act 1: The Ties That Bind  
  
TEASER  
  
FADEIN:  
  
INT- THE INSIDE OF AN UPSCALE HOUSE -- NIGHT  
  
Enter LEXIE.  
  
LEXIE runs down steps with a purse or bag over one shoulder,   
carrying books in her hands. She reaches a bedroom door and opens   
it.  
  
LEXIE  
So, I might not be home until later tonight,   
Grandpa, and I was wondering if you could   
lend me some money because I...   
(drops books and begins to scream)  
Oh, my God, oh, my God!!  
  
Enter GRISSOM and CATHERINE, carrying equipment, with BRASS in   
tow. Police cars dot the road as they walk up to the front door.  
  
BRASS  
Yeah. Name's John Blocker, Las Vegas   
millionaire.   
(frowns)  
Plenty of motive, right there.  
  
CATHERINE  
Nice house.  
  
BRASS  
Wait until you get inside. I remember coming   
here once for some benefit dinner.  
  
They enter the house into an impressive foyer. Near the back   
Lexie is sitting and crying, flanked by two policemen trying to   
console and question her simultaneously. Lexie looks up as the   
three enter. Brass Catherine walks over.  
  
CATHERINE  
Catherine Willows, crime lab.   
(She shakes Lexie's hand, which is   
limp as she is still concentrating on   
crying.)  
I'm assuming you're the grandaughter of   
the...diseaced?   
(Lexie nods, fighting back more   
tears.)  
We'll try our hardest to find out what   
happened here. Would you mind if we asked you   
a few questions? When you're ready, of   
course.  
  
GRISSOM  
Tough.  
  
BRASS  
Yeah, especially when you've already lost   
both of your parents.   
(He reads off a clipboard, presumably   
with information on the family.  
  
Grissom ignores Brass' remark and goes up the stairs into a   
large master bedroom.  
  
INT- MASTER BEDROOM -- NIGHT  
  
Grissom begins to to work the crime scene. On the king-size bed   
is the body, covered in blood, with a gun wound to the head.   
There is no weapon in sight and no obvious signs of entry.  
  
SARA enters the room.  
  
SARA  
Heard there was a high-profile vic. I figured   
you'd need me. Nick and Warrick'll be here   
soon.  
  
GRISSOM  
Good. They won't be dissapointed.  
  
SARA  
What, did you find something big?  
  
GRISSOM  
Sort of.  
  
SARA  
What?  
  
GRISSOM  
Nothing.  
  
END OF TEASER  
  
ACT ONE  
  
Grissom and Sara work the crime scene, while musing about the   
situation to each other.  
  
SARA  
It's your typical murder-mystery-novel case.   
Rich and famous dead guy. No signs of forced   
entry. Neat and clean bullet wound to the   
head.  
  
GRISSOM  
No signs of struggle. But if this was a book,   
we'd at least get to have the murder weapon.  
  
SARA  
Very few fingerprints. I'll bet this room was   
cleaned recently.  
  
Grissom bends and picks up something, dropping it in an evidence   
bag.  
  
GRISSOM  
All we've got is the body, the bullet,   
(raises bag slightly and glances at   
it)  
and a strand of hair.  
  
SARA  
We've solved cases with less.  
  
GRISSOM  
But this time, the media'll be all over it--   
and they'll want more.  
  
Catherine enters, slightly distraught.  
  
CATHERINE  
I tried talking to the girl, but she's still   
worked up.   
  
SARA  
What'd you learn about her?  
  
CATHERINE  
Her name is Lexie, she's been living with her   
grandfather since her parents died three   
years ago.   
  
GRISSOM  
Are Nick and Warrick here yet?  
  
CATHERINE  
Just got here a minute ago. They're   
downstairs talking to Brass.  
  
GRISSOM  
You help Sara finsih up in here.   
  
CATHERINE  
Sure.  
  
GRISSOM  
I'll have Nick and Warrick walk the premesis   
with me.  
  
Grissom exits.  
  
INT-- DOWNSTAIRS FOYER-- SAME NIGHT.  
  
NICK  
Hey, Grissom.  
  
GRISSOM  
You already talked to Brass?  
  
WARRICK  
Yeah. Too bad, huh?  
  
GRISSOM  
You want to help me go around the outside?  
  
NICK  
It takes three of us?  
  
GRISSOM  
It's a big house.  
  
EXT- OUTSIDE THE BLOCKER HOUSE-- SAME NIGHT.  
  
Warrick and Nick head towards the pathway leading up to the front   
door, having walked in opposite directions around the house.   
Grissom is crouching, studying footprints on the front walkway.  
  
WARRICK  
Nothing much in the back. A couple of   
footprints.  
  
NICK  
Same here.  
  
GRISSOM  
And here.  
  
Warrick and Nick glance down at the ground and give each other an   
overwhelmed look.  
  
INT- CORONER'S OFFICE-- THE NEXT DAY  
  
Catherine, Grissom, and Dr. Robbins are standing over John   
Blocker's body. Catherine and Grissom anxiously listen to the   
coroner's report.  
  
CORONER  
Well, he was pretty healthy for his age.   
Stayed in shape, ate well, had a good heart.   
The only thing abnormal here is that there   
were some signs of a previous stroke.  
  
GRISSOM  
It wasn't in his medical records?  
  
CORONER  
No, but it's not uncommon for minor strokes   
to go undetected.  
  
CATHERINE  
It's clear that the shot to the head was the   
cause of death?  
  
CORONER  
No doubt about it. My guess? He was sleeping,   
didn't know what hit him until it was all   
over.  
  
A RECEPTIONIST enters the room.  
  
RECEPTIONIST  
Ms. Willows? An Alexis Blocker here to speak   
with you.  
  
Catherine excuses herself from the room, walks down the hall, and   
sees Lexie waiting. She smiles and waves.  
  
INT- FOYER OF CSI OFFICE-- DAY  
  
Catherine walks down the hall, preparing herself to talk to   
Lexie. She feels responsibility for her now, after the   
conversation she had with her the day of the murder. Sara has   
already sat down and started talking to Lexie.  
  
SARA  
Trust me, I see this every day... and it's   
not easy.  
  
LEXIE  
I guess...  
  
Catherine greets Lexie a little timidly, not sure how to enter   
the conversation.  
  
CATHERINE  
Good to see you, Lexie. Are you holding up   
alright?  
  
LEXIE  
Yeah, well... not really, but   
(she is crying slightly)  
I want to help.  
  
CATHERINE  
I'm so sorry...  
We really will do all that we can, and you   
can tell us a lot that will help. Tell us   
what happened when you found him yesterday.  
  
LEXIE  
Yesterday... in the afternoon he went   
upstairs to do some work. He'd shut himself   
(cries)  
he'd shut himself in there for hours, so when   
he was still there a few hours later I didn't   
think anything of it. I went out to run some   
errands and came back. Later when I left to   
go to a friend's I thought I'd say goodbye   
and...  
  
Lexie stops abruptly and stares at her lap.  
  
SARA  
Is there anything you can tell us about your   
grandfather. Any enemies? Old grudges?  
  
LEXIE  
My grandpa delt in real estate. He never told   
me much abou tall that, because he said I   
wouldn't understand and wouldn't be   
interested anyway. But, truthfully, I really   
was..   
  
She starts to cry again. Sara and Catherine exchange glances;   
Sara's face seems bewhildered, while Catherine's seems worried.  
  
INT- DNA LAB-- SAME DAY.  
  
NICK  
Hey, Greg, did you process those samples I   
gave you?  
  
GREG  
Yeah... here you go. One hair, it matches the   
grandaughter.  
  
NICK  
Thanks.  
  
INT- GRISSOM'S OFFICE -- SAME DAY.  
  
SARA  
Hey, I got some background on our vic, John   
Blocker. Had real estate all over the US,   
including two houses and two condos in Vegas.  
  
GRISSOM  
So... no disgruntled employees, but maybe..   
disgruntled tenants?  
  
SARA  
Well listen to this-- Lexie? She lived with   
her parents in one of her grandfather's   
houses in LA, until 1999, when it burnt down,   
trapping her parents inside. It was ruled   
arson. The case was never closed.  
  
GRISSOM  
Interesting.   
  
Nick enters with the DNA results and hands them to Grissom.  
  
NICK  
Greg finished with the hair sample-- it   
matched the girl.  
  
SARA  
There goes our hair.  
  
Grissom picks up a copy of John Blocker's DNA on his desk and   
compares it with the printout.  
  
GRISSOM  
Was Lexie adopted?  
  
SARA  
I don't think so, why?  
  
GRISSOM  
Her DNA doesn't match the victim's.  
  
ACT 2  
  
EXT- MEDIUM SIZED APARTMENT-- DAY.  
  
Grissom and Sara walk up to the front door and ring the bell. A   
lady in her mid-thirties opens the door.  
  
LADY  
Hello? If you're with the media, we're not   
avail--  
  
GRISSOM  
Gil Grissom, Las Vegas crime lab. And you   
are?  
  
MARISA  
Marisa, Lexie's aunt, and her new guardian.  
  
GRISSOM  
Nice to meet you. We'd like to talk to Lexie,   
if that's ok.  
  
LEXIE  
Aunt Marisa, is it Catherine?  
  
SARA  
Hi, Lexie. No, it's me and Grissom...   
remember us? We met yesterday, I think.  
  
LEXIE  
Oh yeah, hi.  
  
GRISSOM  
Can we ask you a few questions?  
  
LEXIE  
Sure, come on in.   
(to Marisa)  
I'm sure it's ok.  
  
INT- MARISA'S APARTMENT.  
  
The apartment is on the small side. Grissom and Sara are led to a   
kitchenette/eating area and sit down.  
  
SARA  
Lexie, We're having trouble identifying a   
suspect in your grandfather's case.   
  
GRISSOM  
I know you've talked to Sara and Catherine   
already, but is there anything you might have   
forgotten?  
  
LEXIE  
Well, he was a private person and had   
aquantances, not friends. He knew some of the   
people who rented his houses fairly well.  
  
SARA  
If someone entered your house, would they   
have access to any weapons?  
  
LEXIE  
Yeah.  
  
GRISSOM  
Like what?  
  
LEXIE  
There's Grandpa's gun collection. I didn't   
think to show you it because nothing was   
stolen or anything. There's one gun missing   
(she frowns slightly here)  
but it's been gone for a few months, I think.   
(beat)  
Are you sure you guys can do this?  
  
SARA  
We'll do the best we can.  
  
GRISSOM  
Thanks, Lexie.  
  
EXT- SMALL ONE-STORY HOUSE-- DAY.  
  
Catherine and Warrick ring the doorbell. A middle aged woman   
opens the door.  
  
CATHERINE  
Hello. I'm Cahterine Willows with the Las   
Vegas crime lab, this is Warrick Brown. I'm   
sure you've already heard about your   
landlord?  
  
LADY  
Yes, yes, I've heard. Devistating. Can I help   
you with anything?  
  
WARRICK  
We were wondering if you knew anything about   
the victim, anything that could help us.  
  
LADY  
Probably not much, but come inside.  
  
INT- INSIDE SMALL HOUSE--DAY.  
  
Catherine and Warrick are led into a small family room and shown   
couches while talking to the lady.  
  
CATHERINE  
Did you have much contact with Mr. Blocker?   
Do you know much about how he conducted   
business?  
  
LADY  
Not really. We didn't have to contact him   
very often. One time we had a leak and I had   
to call him about fixing it. He was hard to   
track down, but once we did he was really   
nice and helpful.  
  
WARRICK  
The kind of person you'd want to be friends   
with?  
  
LADY  
Yeah. Don't see why anyone'd have a grudge   
against him or something.  
  
CATHERINE  
Well, thanks for your time.  
  
The lady nods and closes the door behind them.  
  
INT- BLOCKER MANSION, LATE AFTERNOON  
  
Sara and Grissom enter the house and glance around.  
  
SARA  
She said that he kept his collection   
downstairs..  
  
INT- GUN DISPLAY ROOM  
  
They proceed to the downstairs basement and walk through it into   
a room with an impressive collection of guns. They are stored in   
a large, glass covered display case.  
  
SARA  
(She points.)  
Like she said, one's missing.   
  
She begins to dust for fingerprints along the rim of the case.  
  
GRISSOM  
No signs of theft here at all. The case is   
locked, the alarm is set.  
  
SARA  
Lexie did say the gun's been gone for awhile.  
  
GRISSOM  
If it was sold, why didn't they want the   
ammunition, too?  
  
SARA  
If someone took it, they had to be able to   
shut off the alarm. And if it was recent,   
they would have reported it. Unless-- no...  
  
GRISSOM  
Well...  
  
INT- LEXIE'S ROOM  
  
They go upstairs to Lexie's room. Her room has a large bed and   
several bookshelves.  
  
GRISSOM  
(reading the title of a book)  
"The Care, Handling, and Use of Personal   
Firearms." She knew how to fire a gun.  
  
SARA  
She loved him, though., She wasn't the kind   
of-- I mean, I didn't really know her, but...   
(beat)  
We should get going.  
  
EXT- CONDO, DAY.  
  
Catherine and Warrick go up a flight of stairs to reach the   
outside door of a condo. It seems to be nice and in an affluent   
area. A man in his late twenties opens the door.  
  
WARRICK  
Warrick Brown, Las Vegas crime lab. This is   
Catherine Willows. I'm sure you've heard--   
(he gets cut off)  
  
MAN  
Yeah, a real shame.  
  
CATHERINE  
And you are-- Mark Shangauh?  
  
MARK  
That's me.  
  
CATHERINE  
We were wondering if we could ask you a few   
questions.  
  
INT- SAME CONDO.  
  
The inside of Mark's condo is small but nicely furnished. There   
are large comfortable couches.  
  
MARK  
Here, take a seat.  
  
CATHERINE  
How much contact did you have with the late   
Mr. Blocker?  
  
MARK  
Oh, I talked to him a couple of times. He was   
always real helpful. I remember going to some   
of his charity things.  
  
WARRICK  
He held a lot of those?  
  
MARK  
Yeah. He always did stuff for charities. I   
bet that's where his money's going.  
  
CATHERINE  
Well-- thanks.  
  
They get up and shake hands.  
  
ACT 3  
  
INT- LAYOUT ROOM-- NIGHT  
  
CATHERINE  
Well, we learned that the vic didn't make   
enemies. The people we talked to were all   
pretty shocked by the whole thing.  
  
WARRICK  
And he owns nice houses.  
  
SARA  
We found out that a gun's been missing from   
the vic's personal collection for several   
months.  
  
GRISSOM  
Lexie said she thought it had been sold, but   
everything you'd sell along with a gun is   
still there.  
  
NICK  
While you guys were gone, I took a look at   
Mr. Blocker's will. About half goes to   
charity.   
  
Sara grabs the papers he's holding from his hands.  
  
SARA  
And the other half goes to Lexie.   
(preoccupied)  
All the gun books...  
  
Catherine looks shocked, slowly catching on to what Sara's   
thinking. Sara and Grissom exchange glances.  
  
GRISSOM  
Wait... what was that Greg said about Lexie's   
DNA?  
  
SARA  
Lexie and her grandfather had nothing in   
common, DNA-wise.  
  
NICK  
So if Lexie was adopted, but that was never   
disclosed...  
  
CATHERINE  
Grandpa never deserved custody, Lexie looses   
her claim to the will, and--  
  
NICK  
The money is turned over to the next person,   
Marisa, who's barely in the will at all.  
  
GRISSOM  
And in any case, Marisa control's Lexie's   
inheritance until she's 18.  
  
EXT- MARISA'S APARTMENT-- DAY  
  
Grissom and Catherine walk up the stairs to the door. Catherine   
rings the bell and Marisa answers.  
  
MARISA  
Hi again, Mr. Grissom. And you must be   
Catherine?  
  
CATHERINE  
Yes, nice to meet you. Marisa, right?  
  
MARISA  
Yes, yes, come inside.  
  
Lexie is sitting at the kitchen table, doing schoolwork.  
  
LEXIE  
Hi, Catherine! Hi, Grissom.  
  
CATHERINE  
Nice to see you, Lexie. Listen, we have some   
more questions for you.  
  
GRISSOM  
Remember how you told me about that gun, you   
thought your grandfather sold it? We think it   
may be stolen.  
  
Lexie seems shocked for a moment. Catherine takes a chance and   
asks her:  
  
CATHERINE  
Lexie. Were you adopted?  
  
LEXIE  
No! What does that have to do with anything?  
  
GRISSOM  
It depends. Oh, we saw some books in your   
room on guns. Did you hunt with your   
grandfather?  
  
LEXIE  
Me? No way. Grandpa taught me how to shoot,   
he wanted me to get into it like he was. But   
I couldn't even shoot a squirrel. You don't   
think-- no, I'd never!  
  
CATHERINE  
I'm sorry, Lexie. It's just that whoever took   
the gun had to have been able to deactivate   
the alarm--  
  
Grissom's cell phone rings.  
  
GRISSOM  
Grissom.   
(His face brightens somewhat.)  
Thanks.   
(He hangs up the phone. To Catherine:)  
Sara says we got the prints back from the gun   
case.   
(To Lexie, who is looking   
apprehensive.)  
Don't worry. They're not yours.  
  
INT- PRINT LAB-- DAY.  
  
Catherine and Grissom arrive, Sara is finishing up documenting   
the prints.  
  
SARA  
So I ran the prints through the database, and   
I got a Mark Shagaugh. It turns out, he rents   
one of Blocker's condos in Las Vegas.  
  
CATHERINE  
But Mark said that he'd only had minimal   
contact with Mr. Blocker.  
  
GRISSOM  
Sara, can you--  
  
SARA  
(grinning)  
Here you go.   
  
She hands him a warrant.  
  
GRISSOM  
You want to come?  
  
Sara and Grissom exit. Catherine walks down the hall to look for   
Greg; she finds him in the DNA lab.  
  
INT- DNA LAB-- A FEW MINUTES LATER  
  
CATHERINE  
Hey, Greg, can I ask you a question?  
  
GREG  
Um... sure.  
  
CATHERINE  
How can Lexie and Grandpa Blocker share no   
identical DNA and yet still be blood   
relatives?  
  
GREG  
It's possible.  
  
Catherine looks at him skeptically.  
  
GREG  
Okay. Grandpa and Grandma each give half   
their DNA to Dad. Dad and Mom each give half   
their DNA to Lexie. It just to happens, the   
half Dad gives was the entire half he got   
from Grandma. Grandpa is still related to   
Lexie, but...  
  
CATHERINE  
He didn't "donate" anything.   
(She finds Greg humerous, yet is   
impressed at the same time.  
  
GREG  
Yep.  
  
CATHERINE  
... thanks.  
  
EXT- MARK'S CONDO-- AFTERNOON  
  
Sara and Grissom walk upstairs to the door. Grissom knocks.  
  
GRISSOM  
Mr. Shangauh? Gil Grissom. I'm here with the   
crime lab. I believe you spoke with my   
colleagues, Catherine and Nick?  
  
MARK  
Oh yes, come on in.  
  
SARA  
We have reason to believe that you wee   
present at the blocker home, just previous to   
the death of Mr. Blocker.  
  
MARK  
I-- I was there, I had attended one of his   
charity events.  
  
GRISSOM  
Charity? You didn't happen to, say, take   
something at one of those-- charity events?  
  
As he is speaking, Sara puts on a pair of gloves. She walks   
across the room and picks up a newly cleaned gun sitting on a   
table.  
  
SARA  
Like, say, a gun?  
  
Mark looks stunned.  
  
INT- BALLISTICS LAB-- DAY  
  
Catherine and Sara wait for Nick's results.  
  
NICK  
Good news. These bullets match the one we   
retrieved from the victim. Get this-- it's   
registered to a Mr. John Blocker.  
  
CATHERINE  
I take it back-- murders are still done with   
registered weapons these days.  
  
SARA  
But you guys, something's still not right. We   
don't have a motive. In fact, we don't even   
have a connection, except for the fact Mark   
rented a condo.  
  
CATHERINE  
Well...  
  
SARA  
Warrick, can I see that folder?  
  
WARRICK  
Here, I'll help you.  
  
INT- LAYOUT ROOM-- DAY  
  
Warrick and Sara comb through the files.  
  
SARA  
Hey, Warrick, look at this.  
  
Warrick studies the document Sara handed to him.  
  
WARRICK  
Fingerprints.  
  
SARA  
Yeah. Look.  
  
WARRICK  
Doing it the old-fashioned way?   
(beat)  
Where are those from?  
  
SARA  
The LA arson case, 1999.  
  
WARRICK  
Lexie's house.  
  
SARA  
Yeah. Found on a gasoline can found at the   
scene.  
  
INT- INTERROGATION ROOM-- DAY  
  
Sara, Grissom, and Warrick question Mark, who is sitting   
uneasily. Brass stands off to one side.  
  
SARA  
Mark, we traced your fingerprints back to the   
scene of an arson case in LA, back in 1999.  
  
Mark puts his head in his hands and stares hard at the table.  
  
MARK  
Oh, I didn't think...  
I thought I was free, you'd never catch me.  
I got my money and it was all over.  
  
SARA  
(quizzically)  
You were paid? Who paid you?  
  
MARK  
Blocker... John Blocker.  
  
GRISSOM  
John Blocker paid you to burn down his own   
house?  
  
MARK  
He'd lost a ton of money on some bad   
investments. He'd also lost millions   
gambling, so he found me and told me--  
he told me, burn down this empty house, but   
I-- I went to the wrong address.  
  
WARRICK  
And he got you because--  
  
MARK  
I'd met him in a casino. I wanted to go to   
LA, nobody knew me there, it was perfect.   
I need money.  
  
GRISSOM  
So why kill him?  
  
MARK  
He needed somebody dependable, so he called   
me up.  
  
SARA  
So what, he wanted to kill himself, but   
didn't have the guts?  
  
GRISSOM  
He didn't want to do the dirty work.  
  
MARK  
He loved her, that's why. He told me, he   
loved her.  
  
BRASS  
You have the right to remain silent...  
  
INT- GRISSOM'S TAHOE, PARKING LOT OF MARISA'S APARTMENT  
  
Grissom and Sara pull up to the apartment. Sara seems distraught.   
Grissom reaches over and rubs her hand gently to calm her. Sara   
looks up, clearly surprised.  
  
SARA  
I just don't know how to tell her..  
  
Grissom nods, clearly (finally) attentive to Sara's dilemmas.  
  
SARA  
She's already gone through so much.   
(beat)  
Catherine should have come, Lexie knows her   
better.  
  
GRISSOM  
That's why we're the ones here.  
  
They get out of the car and walk up to the front door of Marisa's   
apartment.  
  
EXT- MARISA'S APARTMENT-- SAME DAY.  
  
SARA  
Lexie. I hate to tell you this--  
  
FADE OUT.  
  
END. 


End file.
